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Liberals' gas plants e-mail trial resumes Friday following delay

Laura Miller, deputy chief of staff to former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, arrives at court in Toronto on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Miller and her superior, David Livingston, face allegations they illegally destroyed documents related to a government decision to scrap two gas plants ahead of the 2011 provincial election. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/PHOTO)

The gas plants e-mail trial will resume Friday for two former senior staffers in the office of the Ontario premier.

David Livingston and Laura Miller face charges of breach of trust and public mischief but have said through their lawyers that they did nothing wrong and expect to be vindicated.

The start of the trial was delayed almost two weeks while lawyers on both sides wrangled over disclosure.

The Canadian Press has reported that the first witness is expected to be a computer expert.

The Ontario government cancelled plans to build two gas plants — one in Mississauga, another in Oakville — prior to the 2011 general election, citing safety and supply concerns.

Opposition NDP and Progressive Conservatives claimed the governing Liberals wasted $1 billion of public tax dollars to save political seats in those Liberal neighbourhoods.

The case flows from allegations, not proven in court, that government e-mails which might have shed light on motives for the cancellations were improperly destroyed.

The incident was alleged to have happened in the final days before former premier Dalton McGuinty handed the reins over to Premier Kathleen Wynne, although neither politician was considered a subject of the investigation.